The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court has allowed Enforcement Directorate (ED) to attach Vijay Mallya's all properties including shares and debentures.

The court also allowed ED to declare Vijay Mallya an absconder. (Reuters)

The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court has allowed Enforcement Directorate (ED) to attach Vijay Mallya’s all properties including shares and debentures. The court also allowed ED to declare Vijay Mallya an absconder. Court has also asked for further evidences for attaching Mallya’s foreign properties. Earlier, ED on 26th october had moved an application in the court seeking to declare liquor baron as an absconder.

“We have moved the court to declare Mallya an absconder and attach his properties,” an ED official had said. The special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in Mumbai had declared Mr Mallya — who left the country in March — a proclaimed offender in June.

The agency had sought an order from the court under CrPC Section 82 (proclamation of absconding person) to term the liquor baron a proclaimed offender as several arrest warrants were pending against him.

The warrants included cases under PMLA and check-bouncing.
A person, against whom a warrant has been issued, can be declared a proclaimed offender if the court believes that he or she has absconded or is evading execution of warrant.

ED wanted Mr Mallya to join the investigation “in person” in connection with its probe under the PMLA and cases related to a Rs. 900-crore loan from IDBI Bank. It said it had exhausted other legal remedies like seeking Interpol arrest warrant and getting his passport revoked.

It also wanted to invoke the India-United Kingdom Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to get Mr Mallya extradited from the UK.